The American Heart Association has selected five finalists for its 2026 Health Tech Competition, a global initiative designed to accelerate innovations that improve cardiovascular and brain health care. The finalists, announced by the Association's Center for Technology and Innovation, were chosen from a record number of submissions from health technology companies worldwide. They will present their solutions during Scientific Sessions 2026, the Association's flagship event for cardiovascular science, scheduled for Nov. 6-9 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Competition pitches will take place Nov. 7-8, with winners announced Nov. 8.
The five finalists are HEARTio, MEGI, MedRhythms, Seerlinq, and Vascudyne. HEARTio, based in Pittsburgh, is developing investigational AI software that analyzes a standard ECG to estimate obstructive coronary artery disease without dyes, radiation, incisions, or catheters. MEGI, from Chicago, offers an AI-powered digital health platform focused on women's heart health, maternal care, and hypertension management. MedRhythms, of Portland, Maine, combines sensors, software, and music to help people improve walking and mobility after neurological injury or disease. Seerlinq, headquartered in Bratislava, Slovakia, estimates cardiac filling pressure non-invasively from a short fingertip PPG measurement at home, potentially catching deterioration in heart failure patients weeks before hospitalization. Vascudyne, from St. Paul, Minnesota, bioengineers blood vessels that regenerate into the patient's own tissue, providing coronary bypass patients with a graft without leg-vein harvest and children with congenital defects an implant that grows with them.
The competition is designed for emerging companies with clinically informed and validated technologies, early evidence of impact, and a viable path to scale. Finalists are selected for solutions that may engage patients, support clinicians, and demonstrate the potential to improve cardiovascular and brain health outcomes across diverse care settings. Final presentations will be evaluated based on clinical evidence, scientific innovation, and market need. "Too many promising health technologies never reach the people who could benefit from them most," said Lee A. Shapiro, J.D., volunteer chair of the American Heart Association and managing partner and co-founder at 7wireVentures. "The American Heart Association's Health Tech Competition highlights solutions that are grounded in science, informed by real-world needs and designed to improve care for people at risk for or living with cardiovascular and brain health conditions."
The implications of this competition are significant for the health tech industry and patients. By providing a platform for emerging companies to showcase their innovations to a panel of expert judges and potential investors, the American Heart Association aims to bridge the gap between promising technologies and clinical adoption. The finalists address critical unmet needs in cardiovascular and brain health, from early detection of heart disease to non-invasive monitoring of heart failure and regenerative solutions for congenital defects. For more information about the competition, finalists, and event details, visit 2026 Health Tech Competition. Additional resources include the American Heart Association news release Global health tech competition aims to accelerate innovation improving cardiovascular and brain health, and the announcement of the Houston-based medical technology company wins overall global health tech competition at Scientific Sessions 2025. The original release is available on www.newmediawire.com, and more information about the American Heart Association can be found at heart.org and stroke.org. Selection as a finalist does not constitute an endorsement, certification, or validation of a company, product, clinical claim, or commercial offering by the American Heart Association.
